What is the link between beef and Amazon deforestation?

Last reviewed: April 12, 2026

Summary

Cattle ranching is responsible for approximately 80% of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, making it the single largest driver of forest loss in the world's most biodiverse rainforest. Brazil has the world's largest commercial cattle herd and is the world's largest beef exporter.

Evidence Summary

The connection between beef production and Amazon deforestation is one of the most extensively documented environmental relationships. Cattle ranching accounts for approximately 80% of current deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon (Nepstad et al., 2008, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B). Brazil is home to approximately 193 million head of cattle and is the world's largest beef exporter, supplying about one-quarter of the global market.

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